Bridge-gate



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

E. DBLIA.

BRIDGE GATE.

Patented Dec. 27, 1892.

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@No Model.) 2 Sheets-sheet' 2.

E. .DELIA. BRIDGE GATE.

@www mmm 2 fawn/iam NTTED STATES PATENT @Finca EUGENE DELIA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRIDGE-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,755, dated December 27, 1892.

Application filed July 8, 1892. Serial No. l1.39.352. (No model.)

.To a/ZZ whom 1t/'may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE DELTA, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridge-Gates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to gates for closing the approaches to draw bridges.

The object of the invention is to provide a gate which will be simple and inexpensive in construction, and will be operated automatically by the opening or closing of the bridge.

The invention consists in the matters to be hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure lis a side elevation of a bridge gate embodying my improvements, the same being shown in its open position, as when the bridge is closed for traffic. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the gate being shown in its closed position and the draw moved away from the approach. Fig. 3 is a View, on a larger scale, showing the free 'end of the gate in elevation, and the end of the draw in section. Fig. 4 is an elevation showing in detail the operating devices of the gate and bridge posts.V Fig. 5 is a top plan of the same.

In said drawings A denotes the bridge approach or abutment, and B the bridge or the pivoted draw thereof, the end of which swings horizontally away from and toward the abutment A, in the usual manner.v At the extreme end of the abutment A are two posts C and D, one on either side, to one of which, say C, is secured the fixed end of a folding or extensible gate E constructed of slats e pivoted together after the manner of a lazy tongs and operating correspondingly. The slats at the other or free end of the gate are connected with a post E provided at its lower end with one or more rollers or casters adapted to travel upon a guide rail A secured upon the end of the abutment A between the posts C and D. This guide rail A is curved in an arc, having the pivot of the draw B as a center. To the outerface of the post E', and near the upper and lower ends thereof, hooks or latches e are pivoted, their free ends being adapted to engage keepers d secured to or forming part of the post D, said latches being provided between theirpivoted and free ends with horizontally projecting studs e2 arranged in the paths of latch-operating devices carried by the draw, and presently to be described. A shiftable plate E2 is also pivoted at its lower edge to the post E', the upper edge thereof being provided with two shoulders e3 and e4 arranged to abut against a stop pin e5 which is attached to the post E', said plate E2 being shifted on its pivot at each limit of movement of the gate, by contact with one or the other of two rigid stops C and D projecting respectively from the posts C and D. Projecting from the face of the shiftable plate E2, at opposite sides of its pivotal point, are recessed lugs e6 and e7, the recessed sides of which face each other, and the pivot of the plate, as best shown in Figs.Y 3, 4 and 5, their arrangement with relation to the other parts described being such that when the plate E2 has, by contact with the stop C of post C, been shifted on its pivot to bring the shoulder e3 thereof in contact with the stop pin e5, the recessed lug e7 of the plate will be in horizontal alignment with the pivot, and the lower edge of the lug e6 will be above said pivot, as shown in Figs, l and 3. Upon closing the gate E the plate E2 will, by contact with the stopD of post D, be shifted on its pivot to its opposite limit of movement, thus bringing the shoulder e4 in contact with the stop pin ethe recessed lug e6 in a horizontal plane with the pivot of the plate, and the lug e7 above said pivot, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The end of the bridge or draw B is provided at o ne side with a vertical post B', said post V'being located, when the gate E is open, and the draw B closed for trafiic, opposite, or nearly so, to the post C of the approach A to which the fixed end of said gate is secured. Near the upper and lower ends of this post B', and on that side thereof which faces the abutment or approach A, are secured trip blocks b, their upper faces projecting such a distancev from the post B (see Fig. 5) that they will pass beneath the ends of the studs e2 of the hooks or latches e as the draw B is swung on its pivot. The upper faces of these trip blocks have the form of a semi-ellipse or a double incline, the highest point thereof being at the center of the block whereby, as the trip blocks pass beneath the studs e2 of the latches e', said studs riding upon the surface of the trip blocks will raise IOO the free ends of the latches to a height sufficient for their engagement with or disengagement from the keepers d of the post D. A carrier stud B2 is also secured to the face of the post B', being located about midway between the trip blocks b, and in a horizontal plane With the pivot stud of the shiftable plate E2 on the gate. This stud B2 is here illustrated as T-shaped, the horizontally pro jecting ends being designed to engage the recesses of the lugs e6 and el of the plate E2 as the bridge or draw is swung to open or close, this engagement resulting in carrying the post E across the width of the approach or abutment A, and so opening or closing the gate, as will be understood. To illustrate, we will suppose that the draw B is closed and the gate open, the relative positions of the parts being shown in Fig; l. Upon swinging the draw upon its pivot in the direction ofthe arrow to open the same,it will be seen that one end of the carrier stud B2 will engage the recessed lug e7 of plate E2 and that as the pressure of said stud upon the lug is horizontal with relation to the pivot stud of said plate, the plate will retain the position shown, and being moved forward by the stud B2, will carry with it the free end ofthe gate E. As the post E of the gate approaches the post D of the abutment A the forward edge of the shif'table plate E2 will be brought into contact with the stop D on said post D- and the plate will thus beshif'ted upon its pivot sufficiently to release the recessed lug `e7 from the carrier stud B2, thus freeing the draw from engagement with the gate, the latches e being meanwhile raised by the trip blocks b to engage the keepers d of post D and released from said trip blocks as the draw moves forward, the parts being now in the position shown in Fig. 2. It will be understood of' course that in closing the draw the described operation will be reversed, that is to say, the trip blocks will disengage the latches c from the keepers (Z, the carrier stud B2 meanwhile engaging the recessed lug e6, thus moving the post E of the gate toward the other side of the abutment and folding the gate. The carrier stud will be released from the recessed lug e6 in the same manner as has been heretofore described with relation to the lug c7.

While the latches e', as here illustrated, will under ordinary circumstances operate satisfactorily as gravity latches, I prefer to secure upon the post E springs e8 arranged to bear upon said latches with their free ends in order to make the operation of the latches more positive. In some instances, as in bridging a narrow stream, the Well known pivot bridges are frequently used, and in positions where the pier which carries the pivot of the bridge can be located centrally between the abutments or approaches to the bridge it is sometimes customary to swing the bridge end for end in opening and closing.- To provide for such contingencies a supporting post may be located centrally between the sides of an abutment A, and a gate such as herein described,

supported at its center upon such post, the gate in such case being a double one, or dou'- ble ended. At each side of the abutment a post similar to that marked D should be secured and the gate should be provided at each end with a post similar to that marked E, Said post carrying all the attachments here shown as connected therewith. Under such an arrangement it will be seen that upon the engagement of the carrier stud B2 with a recessed lugton one of the posts of the gate, both of said posts E will be moved in opposite directions or away from each other and thereby caused to approach the tixed posts at the opposite sides of the abutment and the latches be caused to engage with the keepers on said fixed posts.

What I claim is:

1.- The combination with a bridge approach or abutment, and a horizontally movable pivoted bridge or draw, of an extensible gate secured to a fixed post on the abutment and provided at its end with a post carrying a shiftable plate having projecting lugs, and a carrier stud connected with the end of the draw to engage the lugs of the shiftable plate of the gate, substantially as described.

y2. The -combination with a bridge approach or abutment, and a horizontally pivoted bridge or draw, of an extensible gate secured to a fixed post on the abutment and provided at its free'end with a centrally pivoted shiftable plate having projecting lugs at opposite sides'of its pivotal axis, and a carrier stud securedto a fixed part of the 'draw and adapted to engage the projecting lugs of said shif'table plate, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a bridge approach or abutment, and a horizontally movable pivoted bridge or draw, of an extensible gate secured at one end to a fixed post on the abutment and provided at its other end with a latch and a shiftable 4 plate having recessed lugs, said draw being provided with a carrier stud and a trip block to engage the recessed lugs and the latch respectively, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with a bridge approach or abutment, and a horizontally pivoted bridge or draw, of an extensible gate secured to a fixed post on the abutment and provided at its free end with a pivoted plate Vshiftable upon its pivot and provided with stops to limit its movement, said plate having also projecting lugs arranged at opposite sides of the pivot which lie in a horizontal plane with said pivot when the plate is at its opposite limits of movement, and a carrier stud secured to a fixed part of the draw adapted to engage said lugs, substantial-ly as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE DELIA. Witnesses:

TAYLOR E. BROWN, C. A. NEALE.

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